Councillor Seamus Morris, Rathnaleen, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. Mobile: (087)2859125. E-mail: seamusmorris@hotmail.com Website: www.northtippsinnfein.

com Date: 06/09/12

Cllr. Samie Morris condemns todays H S E statement on Nenagh Hospital Todays statement from the H S E headed Another step forward in safer patient care is a disgusting mis use of the English language which trys to paint over the disastrous news today where Nenagh Hospital has effectively lost its Intensive Care Unit and its Full A and E to be replaced by a Local Injuries unit which will see people having to go to a doctor to be referred to the unit in Nenagh. The closure of the I C U in Nenagh is just immoral and will result in deaths because of the absence of the Promised Critical Care Block which remains unopened. Even if it is opened the plan is based on the idea that if you or your relative needs critical care ( I C U / H D U/ C C U) you will be transferred to Limerick . The new (unopened) critical care block is intended to have sufficient beds for all such patients in the region. However there are no additional non critical care beds being added in Limerick. So you or your relative must stay in Nenagh until the critical bed is available and you must transfer back to Nenagh as soon as you are discharged from the critical care unit otherwise you will be adding to the patient overload in Limerick but such patients are often quite ill or at risk. That means a lot of ill or at risk patients being transferred to and fro across the region by Ambulance and it means a lot of ill or at risk patients will still be in Nenagh but without the back up of Nenagh I C U. There in a nutshell is the duty of care that the H S E has for the patients of North Tipperary indeed the way that the staff were told at the last minute also shows total disrespect for their workers. What has happened today is effectively the Full implementation of the Hanly report which was so abhorrent to the people of North Tipperary who marched in their Thousands on the streets of Nenagh not once but twice led by Alan Kelly and Noel Coonan who acted as cheerleaders whipping the crowd into a frenzy against what they now have delivered for the disastrous Minister for Health Dr James Riley . I hope that the Nenagh Hospital Action Group will call a public meeting facilitated and chaired by the Mayor Of Nenagh Labour Councillor Lawlor McGee . I would also like to single out Consultant Manus Maloney Consultant Dr Damien Ryanand of course Nenagh Hospital manager John Doyle and Director Of Nursing Margaret Gleeson who welcomed todays news despite knowing full well that replacement services are not in place yet more H S E staff that have like other Hanly cheerleaders got it disastrously wrong and have since admitted their wrongs but their wrongs have caused untold grief to patients and their families. I would like to say to the H S E and their quisling Politicians that they have not beaten the people of North Tipperary Yet manys a politicians career has fallen over Nenagh Hospital be aware of that!